Eric Geller

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Okay, so on a return trip to @airandspace today, I discovered that there ARE plaques for Poe's X-wing. Delightfully, they made real-world *and* in-universe plaques. https://t.co/KA6OWOjTyT — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

@AliceinDCland love how she has to sleep on a pillow made by a mountain of toys — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

@AliceinDCland Lou: can we get dead squirrel carcass? Alice: we have dead squirrel carcass at home dead squirrel carcass at home: https://t.co/qVqv0VLuJh — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

#neverforget https://t.co/LApZXUjtZU — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

love too create a free-speech zone for brave edgy comedy that the woke left won't allow — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

@aoxamaxoa Well there was also the Star Wars Holiday Special — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

@BioTurboNick I think he was just trying to be helpful and I think she understood it that way. I actually thought it was interesting that Partagaz didn't say like "keep your man in line, the senior officers are talking" but was just cool with the interruption. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

* I love Syril noisily slurping his cereal milk to avoid listening to his mom. These relatable moments only make it harder to watch him go Full Creep. Speaking of which, I think Reddit knows why he's mad at his mom for going through his stuff: https://t.co/mIcwtrkxp0 https://t.co/00BQBJjTse — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

* The episode's title ("Nobody's Listening!") isn't just about a lack of prison surveillance. It's also about Mon's marginalized status in the Senate. And there's also this beautiful parallel to Rogue One (h/t @theMandaTorian): https://t.co/w4CDIRZSWQ — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

* I love that Aldhani is basically the 9/11 of this show. If you can tie your investigation to it, you get more attention and resources, b/c the Empire is single-mindedly focused on preventing more Aldhanis. We rarely get so much insight into Imperial thinking and incentives. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

* Even before we know what's happened, there’s something eerie about the power in the prison mysteriously shutting off and turning back on. There’s a deep malevolence to that mystery. And of course, on rewatch, it's even more sinister. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

A few stray thoughts: * Ulaf's physical and mental deterioration is heartbreaking. Something’s going to happen to him, and everyone there knows it. * The prisoners rallying around Ulaf shows how they’re decent people, not inhuman monsters. A very anti-carceral-state message. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

A few stray thoughts: * Ulaf's physical and mental deterioration is heartbreaking. Something’s going to happen to him, and everyone there knows it. * The prisoners rallying around Ulaf shows how they’re decent people, not inhuman monsters. A very anti-carceral-state message. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Also, the transition between Bix’s screams and the scream of the drill in the prison is supremely unsettling. Brilliant sound design work there. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Speaking of the torture scene, I was surprised (tho not bothered) that they went for a full-on ANH homage with the shot of the door to the interrogation room closing, followed by a pan up to a nearby trooper walking down the hallway. I guess only real heads will recognize it. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Shoutout to Bix for holding out as long as she could. Her bravery was admirable. Fighting to protect Cassian even after everything he did to her and Ferrix showed real loyalty. Adria Arjona's intense performance amid eerie silence adds real brutality to the torture scene. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

I love the moment when Dedra quickly devises a plan for the pilot, Partagaz embraces it, and she immediately leaps up to get to work. Then Partagaz gives orders to the remaining officers, and there's a funny silent pause before he has to tell them to go do their jobs, too. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Having ISB officers casually discuss killing the captured rebel pilot & staging an accident is a brilliant way to show how the ISB works and how desensitized its leaders are to this kind of stuff. And the Anto Kreegyr connection brings multiple storylines together nicely. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

I don't think Star Wars has ever been darker than the Empire creating a torture device from the screams of dying aliens, w/ special emphasis on dying children. Gorst talks about it w/ this psychotically amused tone. It's brutal to watch Bix's face when he mentions the children. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

Dr. Gorst is a terrifying man. He's the perfect person to showcase what the ISB is capable of. He takes pride in his work, he dispassionately discusses horrific crimes, and he laughs mirthlessly at suffering. He has absolutely no humanity or conscience. It's chilling stuff. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

On multiple fronts, this episode shows the ruthlessly competent side of the Empire. This is the truly scary version of Imperial rule. We can't relate to having our planet blown up. We can *definitely* relate to torture, oppressive prisons, and staged-accident black ops. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

So much fun stuff happens in the family meal scene. When Perrin says Vel needs a husband, she retorts that "all the good ones are taken." It's both a snide dig at him and a joke about how she isn't looking for a man. Mon notices, and her smile is the warmest we've seen yet. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

I love that Vel, someone we've only just met, is the one who has to remind Mon, someone we’ve known for decades, to maintain her faith in the cause. There’s no Rebel Alliance hierarchy here yet. Mon is just another member of the movement, one whose faith needs to be solidified. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

I also like that Vel seems just as worried about Mon as Mon is about her. Vel accurately perceives Mon’s predicament — trapped inside a system she’s trying to bring down, under constant surveillance, under immense pressure to keep her mask up. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

I loved hearing Vel tell Mon what Cinta told her: “The Rebellion comes first. We take what’s left.” She doesn’t like it — we’ve seen her dabble in the temptation to put her own feelings first — but she knows that Cinta is right. And it's what Mon needs to hear. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

I think it's so interesting that Vel hasn't told Mon exactly what she's up to. She must think Mon can’t handle the truth of what she's out there doing. Is that because she thinks Mon wouldn't approve, or because she can tell that it would only make Mon worry more about her? — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

(There's some extra-juicy intrigue there because Mon doesn't know that Vel was on the raid, so she doesn't realize that Luthen risked both of their lives like that. She has no idea how much she should be mad at Luthen.) — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

At the same time, Vel being Mon’s cousin makes her participation in the Aldhani raid extremely risky. Her capture would have crippled Mon's ability to serve the cause. Vel didn't have some unique skill set that made her irreplaceable on the raid. Did Luthen just not care? — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

So let's talk about Vel. I think it's such a great move to make her Mon's cousin. It connects two storylines and gives Vel a backstory that makes her ideology more interesting. Like Mon, she comes from privilege but has the conscience and courage to risk her life for a cause. — PolitiTweet.org

Eric Geller @ericgeller

All of this is exactly the kind of character development that Mon Mothma has been sorely lacking for decades. It’s wonderful watching her visibly coming to grips with the downward spiral of hand-dirtying that’s proving necessary to protect her role as she serves the Rebellion. — PolitiTweet.org